Compare and contrast the Rococo style of art with Romantic art.

Rococo and Romantic Art

In to conduct the comparison of the Rococo and Romantic styles it appears opportune to provide a short of each artistic movement first and then proceed to the detection of similarities and differences between the styles

Rococo style precedes Romanticism chronologically and is the first one to dwell upon . The term Rococo (deriving from rocaille , which means shell work ) stands for the art movement , which appeared in France in the 18th century and followed the Baroque style era . The movement itself represented new philosophy of human existence

, which was introduced at that time . Rococo brought the desired change in the art forms . Its manner differed drastically from rigid and formal grand Baroque art (Kitson 1997 . Still remaining rather aristocratic , Rococo art was less formal . Rococo art strived for lighter , more casual charming and intimate approach to art . In its essence Rococo art described the world of game-playing and artificiality . Chief characteristic features of Rococo were the following : graceful forms pastel colors , physical and visual lightness . Light was the core of Rococo art - colors and emotions revolved around it . Rococo artists attributed close attention to the finest details . Creating asymmetrical compositions the artists were struggling for aesthetic balance . Great interest towards oriental motives should also be mentioned

At first Rococo style was predominant in interior and decorative art promoting delicate and playful designs with lighter elements , patterns and curves . However , by the middle of the 18th century Rococo had spread to sculpture and painting . Francois Boucher and Antoine Watteau created the works , which can serve as vivid examples of Rococo style (Hubala 1989

The Rococo reality was world as a theatre , where everyone was involved in the action - people , things , nature , interior . The Rococo art portrayed the world of eternal gallant festivities . The chief purpose of this approach to reality was contradicting the cult of reason , manifesting ironic attitude to seriousness . At the same time among the major characteristic features of this style one should mention great attention to minute details , to the nuances of feelings , which under close scrutiny might appear crude and unveiled . The main object of rococo art was not exceptional , but human , however art itself was viewed as multifaceted and phantasmagoric

Romanticism as an art movement developed at the beginning of the 19th century and gained strength in the following decades . Speaking about its chief characteristic features the following have to be mentioned intense expression of feelings , imaginative approach , subjective attitude . The essence of Romantic art was infinite aspiration (Galitz 2000 . In the works of Romantic artists close connection to nature was shown , exotic and mysterious subjects were chosen . Feeling was the object of Romantic art , as well as its subject . Works by Thyodore Gericault 's , Eugene Delacroix fully manifest the Romantic art . Romantic art denied the power of the reason as means to realize the best of human possibilities . The romantic mind was free of all social barriers , such as religion , government , morale . As a result of disillusionment with values...